I like characters like the one in your avatar just enough to know what's going on in the fandom. They (or "we", seeing as I'm not sure whether to include myself) seem to have had a bad rap ever since some stupid idiot on MTV - I forget who - made furry fans out to be a bunch of dog-f***ers and creeps who like to f*** in fursuits, when really those are extreme minorities that creep out other furries just as much as anyone else.

Thus you get people who chant "Yiff in hell, furfag!" as if we're almost as bad as Justin Bieber fans. I feel like I have to hide my liking of these characters for fear of being labeled a creep and losing my friends, and it makes me mad.

I see some of these furry pics that incredible artists have drawn - they're clean, mind you - and go "Oh COME ON, anybody would think she's pretty/he's awesome." Yet if I tried to voice that opinion, I feel like I'd just get blank stares and some "wierdo" comments, and people would start slowly backing away and all that crap.

While I'm on the subject, where did you get your avatar from? She's pretty. :D

Ok... cause in my head theres a kid thats half cat and half human that has to fight monsters and stuff!!!! thats who my avatar is based off of... well its mostly me but under his hat theres kitty ears and he has a tail in his pants too...

We're actually debating whether or not to change our Avatar for 2011 to the furry version of us. We would have done it already, but the artist is not finished yet QQ (Is taking forever!) We leave it up to Sharenator to decide, so anyone with an opinion please let us know.
We see nothing wrong with being a furry, but...

We guess after dealing with pricks like Justjim and Johnecash we're used to the idea that no matter what you do or say somebody will always hate you for it. They may not even have a reason other then that you are different.
However... We despise seeing adult images of furry-style characters from childhood cartoons. We are perfectly ok with original characters, however seeing child-cartoon characters just disturbs us.

...And all the way up into the freaky fetish zone that disgusts me, most other members of the fandom, and humanity in general.

The main thing is that most of us live our real lives the same as anyone else (only like 2% dress up in fursuits and that kind of stuff), and most of us got our start in the fandom because of at least one of these awesome guys:

Yeah, I've never fur suited and I don't plan on it, well actually no one I know, knows I'm furry. What I'm getting at is I live a normal life with normal friends. You know, except for the whole Furry thing. :p

Hah, much like me. I haven't told anyone I'm secretly a furry. I'm afraid of all the hate I'd get at school. Now, once I get to college, I may be a little more open. Hopefully people would have grown up by then xD